James kendall delano



June 19, 1923.

J. K. DELANO SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS Filed July 19. 1917 lill,

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UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE- JAMES xnNnALi. nnLANo, or NEW Yoan, N. Y.

' SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUGING APPARATUS.

Application led July 19, 1917. Serial No. 181,514.

To all 'wh-0m it may cfmcem: f

Be it known that I, JAMES K. DELANO, .a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State o f New York, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Sound Reco-rding and Reproducing Apparatus; and I do vhereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, suchk as will enable-others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. l

This invention relates to sound recording and reproducing apparatus;` and it has to do more particularly with apparatus of thisy general class in which the sound conducting' or amplifying means comprises conduits which provide separate sound paths. between the vibratory elementor diaphragm of the sound box and the opposite extremity of saidvsound conducting or amplifying means.

More specifically,`the invention relates to a talking machine or phonograph having a sound box or reproducer provided with'a. plurality of separate impulse chambers in operative relation to the vibratory elementy of the sound box, in combination with a compound tone arm and an amplifying horn both embodying. in a compact unitary structure, separate conduitsl which afford separate continuous soundpaths between said impulse-chambers and the outer end of the amplifying horn. y

It is recognized in the art that vthe o r'dinary method of conducting sound from the sound lbox throughl the usual simplevv tonearm and amplifying horn of a sound reproducing machine, or vice versa when recording, does not give optimuml results for both high and low pitched tones, and that 'the form, dimensions, and other characteristics of such tone arm and horn as usually conf structed are in the nature of av compromise 4between the characteristics theoretically best chines at present commonly in use, thereby making possible much more nearly correct recording and'reproduction of sounds.

Another object of the invention, is to materially increase the sound volumefandk power ofwhich the usual talking machine is capable, while at the same time guarding against interference of sound impulses, a defeet characterizing constructions heretofore proposed. v

Another objectief the invention is to einbody .the above advantages in a construction :which is simple and compact mechanically and'fwhic'h is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture. f

With these objects in view, as well as .others which will be hereinafter apparent to those skilled in this art, `the invention comprises the novel construction and arrangement of apparatus vparts as hereinafter described and as pointed out in the claims.

In order to more fully explain the broad principles underlying. the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one concreteexample of ap-" -paratus withinv the scope of the invention.

It is tobe understood that the invention is not limited to this particular form of apparatus, although this form yembodies iniportant practical advantages and especially desirable features of construction. In these drawings, which are more or less diagrammatic in character,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the tone arm and horn of a talking machine constructed in accorda-nce with the invention, certain parts being in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a section through the sound box on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the 4sound boxA i throat; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the coupling between the tone arm and horn, on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to that form of the invention shown in the drawings, 10 represents conventionally the case of a talking machine of the concealed horn type, the usual rotary table and a sound record disk mounted thereon being indicated in dotted lines at 11 and f 12, respectively. The sound box or reproducei', tone arm, and hornor amplifier. are indicated generally at A, B, and C, respectively. In the present example the horn is stationary, while the vtone arm has a swivel mounting permitting it to move free-ly as the stylus 13 tracks in the record groove.

Referring now to the detailed construction of the sound box or reproducer, the

particular form here shown comprises two tubular parts or sections 14 and 15, affording separate lateral sound passages or chambers 16 and 17, which are substantially. circular in section and which communicate with opposite sides of the sound box diaphragm to be referred to later. The sound-box secu tions may conveniently be metal castings,

\ purpose. .double diaphragm hereshown comprises the formed withropp'osed terminal flanges 18` which support between them the holder 19 for the vibratory impulse-transmitting elelment, said element in this 4instance taking the form of a double diaphragm, 20-21, although 'a single diaphragm may be employed. The diaphragm or diaphragms 4may be thin plates or sheets of mica, glass,

copper, or other material suitable for the The 'actuating means for the stylus bar or lever 22 secured to the diaphragm members by cross piece `23, and pivoted at 24 to the holder or support 19, the stylus or needle being secured to the stylus bar in the usual manner. The two parts 14 and 15 of the sound box may be secured together in any suitable manner, as by screws `25 passing through pairs of mating ilanges of which the pair on part 15 is shown at 26` (Fig.

As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the sound box sections are so formed at the throat `end, or end away from the diaphragm, that,

when the sections are assembled, the passage 16 expands rearwardly into an annular passage or conduit 27, while the passage 17 merges rearwardly into the central passage or conduit 28, which may be circular in cross section and coaxial with the annular conduit, as shown, the wall 29 being common to both passages i The compound tone arm B is of such character as t0 provide tone conductingA and amplifying continuations ofthe separate passages of the reproducer. In the-present eX- ample the tone arm comprises inner and outer coaxial tubes 30 and 31, respectively, lwhich flare gently from their junction with the reproducer and which provide the outer annular conduit 32 and the inner conduit 33.

The junction between the reproducer and the ldouble tone arm may be effected in any appropriate manner, but in the present construction `the central tube fits snugly within central vconduit 28 of the reproducer, While the outer tube, slips over the throat of the reproducer and into Contact with i beadi34 thereon which serves-:as a stop. The

tone arm and the reproducer are thus held together frictionally in the present instance.

The double tone arm, after extending hori` zontally for the necessary distance from the reproducer, bends downwardly `and terminates in 1a double bearing collar consisting of annuli 35, 36, secured to. the ends of the tone arm tubes, the annuli being spaced `apart and held together by thin webs 37.

Similar spacing and securing webs 38 are provided between the tubes near the other end ofthe tone arm. The lower edges of the annuli 35, 36, are spherically convex for bearing engagement with the spherically concave upper edges of a stationary bearing and coupling member extending vertically through the case and comprising the inner rand outer coaxial tubes 39 and 40, secured registry respectively, with the outer annular. t

passage 44 andthe central passage 45 ofthe coupling member. While the described form` of coupling is a -goodone, any other type of coupling may be used which willfplermit swiveling or 4universal movement of the tone arm and at the same time maintain continuity of the tone arm conduits with the horn conduits to be hereinafter described.`

The horn or amplifierC comprises vthe outer horn 46 and the inner horn 47, the horns being` arranged coaxially and frictionally or otherwise held in proper spaced relation-at their smaller ends zby the coupling member, while spacing and securing means such as thin webs 48 may be provided `'near the large ends. The. resultant annular conduit 49 is thus a continuation of annular conduits 32 and 44 before mentioned, while .the central conduit 50 is similarly a continuation of the central conduits 33 and 45. The

horn may have any desired, shape incross section, such 'as circular, elliptical or rectangular.

In the construction described itk'willfbe 'seenvthatprovision made for separately amplifying tones of high and low pitch," the larger horn 46 and the intermediate passages `connecting it to the reproducer chamber 16 having characteristics especially adapted to amplify tones 'of low pitch; While the small-k er horn 47, communicating by an independent path with the reproducer chamber, l7, is adapted to amplify tones of relatively high pitch. Besides the effect producedby thus employing a plurality of amplifying i means of different sizes and characteristics, while maintaining the sound impulses in the several amplifyingmeans substantially separate and distinct until 'the -nalpointfof emergence or projection, there is the further effect, in the specific construction illustrated, produced by the presence of the outer annular amplifying chamber which has amplifying characteristics peculiar to itself as distinguished from merely a large horn. Also, by using suitable vibrator material for thel wall common to the ampli ying conduits, the tone in each conduit may be modified advantageously by vibration transmitted from the other conduit; but this is not to be understood as an essential feature of the invention, broadly'considered. Apart from all other considerations, the construction of the separate sound conduits with a Wall in common, especially where the conduits are knested or coaxially disposed as in the speciic example given, fis mechanically a'dvantageous and desirable.

Where a double reproducer diaphragm is employed, the character and especially the amplitude of the sound impulses supplied to the separate conduits leading from the sound boX may-in some` cases be differentiated to advantage by employing diaphragms of different vibratory character#y istics. For example, the diaphragms may be of different thicknesses, or of different diameters, or of different materials; or the` tween the horn and the tone arm, as, for ex' ample, where the horn swings with the tone arm. v c

Other changesand modifications coming fairly within the appended claims are contemplated by the invention.

What I claim is:

l. The combination, with a sound box having a plurality of vibratory diaphragms.

and provided lwith a vseparate sound conduit leading from each of said diaphragms, of a tone arm embodying separate sound conduits constituting continuations of the sound box conduits, an amplifying horn also embodying separate sound conduits, and a swivel coupling between said tone arm and said horn, said coupling being arranged to permit movement of the tone arm while holding the tone arm conduits and horn conduits in proper respective registry.

2. In a talking machine or the like, the combination with a sound box comprising a plurality of vibratory elements, of a compound tone arm having separate substantially coaxial conduits each separately communicating with one of said vibratory elements, a compound horn affording separate substantially coaxial amplifying chambers adapted to communicate, respectively, with the tone arm conduits, and a coupling be tween said tone arm and horn arranged to maintain the tone arm conduits respectively in registry with the corresponding horn chambers, while permitting movement of the tone arm.

3. vIn a talking machine or the like, the combination with a sound box comprising two diaphragms and common actuating means therefor, of two tone arms arrangedone within the other and communicating by separate passages with the two diaphragme, two amplifying horns arranged vone within the other, and coupling means connecting said horns, respectively, with said tone arms in such manner as to permit relative movement between said tone arms on the one hand and said horns on the other, while maintaining continuity of communication between each tone arm and its cooperating horn. y

4. In a talking machine or the like, the

combination, with a sound box having a plurality of vibratory diaphragms and provided with separate sound conduits leading fromopposite sides of each of said diaphragms, of amplifying means embodying separate sound conduits arranged one within the other constituting continuations of the respective sound box conduits, said amplifying means comprising a plurality of sections so connected as to permit relative movement between the sections while maintaining the continuity of the separate sound conduits embodied therein.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JAMES KENDALL DELANO. 

